Nail Troubles

I solved this with a trick taken from my sister. Kids like to do stuff and help out and not be left out so I clip the nail almost all the way but leave a tiny bit attached and then tell my son to help me. He loves pulling the nail competely off. The first time I did this he was a little over a year and I told him he could help me. I first had to show him that I was going to leave the nail for him to pull off, but it has worked every time and it worked for my sisters two boys. They just like to be involved and for some reason it fascinates them. Good luck!

I have to cut my 15mo's when he's asleep. Otherwise he will throw a fit to play with the nail clippers himself.

The other thing that has worked is sing the piggy song, (This little piggy went to market, this little piggy stayed home, etc )very softly. To hear me he has to be quiet and sit still and it does work for a bit. Then he gets bored and we have to try a few more fingers later.

I would say to try using an emery board. They have no sharp points on them and he can't get cut. He can even do it himself! The scritch-scratch noise is pretty funny and he might even end up enjoying it. Good luck!

I would suggest cutting his nails while he sleeps. I have a 17 and a 1/2 month old bay girl and the only time she lets me clip her nails is when she is falling asleep or really tired. When she is awake i might get a couple done before she freaks out and wants to get down and play. OR, I know this sounds kinda gross to some people, but you could try biting his nails if you can't get them clipped while he is sleeping. I make a game out of it with my daughter. She sits on my lap and i put her fingers in my mouth and swish my tongue around. She loves the squishy feeling and laughs. Now that she is in a silly mood i take one finger nibble the nail off and make pretend i am spitting it out by making raspberry sounds and say "Yucky". This makes her laugh and want me to do the rest of her fingernails. Good luck! Mom of 13 yr old boy and 17 and a 1/2 month old baby girl. D. R.

I keep a nail clipper in the car and when my son falls asleep in his car seat, we park somewhere and I clip his nails. If it's warm enough, I leave him barefoot so I can get his toenails done too. This works like a charm because he is asleep through the whole thing. Good Luck.

T. Y
SAHM of three - 8yrs., 7 yrs and 15 months.

While your little angel is sleeping, sneak in and cut his nails...even toes! He will never know and you will be able to sleep!!! Enjoy mamahood

my daughter will be three in june and i still cut her nails while she is sleeping! sometimes i can do it when she is awake, i also give her a little nail file and then i can file her nails a little for when i can't cut them!

Two ideas -

1. Cut them with scissors - much easier to see what you're doing than clippers and less likely to get cut.

2. Bribery goes a long way. My daughter hated getting her toenails cut. Now a promise of two jellybeans when we're done and she sits right through it. If you don't want to bribe with candy, the promise of nail polish (even for a boy) might just be enough!

This may sound a bit disgusting, but in the "olden days" mothers used to just bite their baby's nails to cut them. At 20 months old, he's still little enough to try this method I should think. You'll want to do it after he's been in the tub and his nails are softened. Good luck.

My only advice is to try doing it while he's asleep. If he's a light sleeper this won't work, but it's worth a shot. Good luck!
L.

My son was fearful for a long time too. Eventually I solved the problem by using a flashlight and trimming his nails while he slept. I told him the Nail Fairy had come in the night because he was scratching himself and others, and she had trimmed them. They really sleep very deeply and it is easy to trim them while asleep!

If you can't do it while he's asleep, then try in front of the tv. That ought to distract him!! You probably won't get all 20 done at the same time, but try to look at them first, without the clipper in your hand (so he'll trust you!!) Then you pick which ones really need to be done right away. He'll be ok in time with it. Good luck!

clip them while he is asleep.

Maybe you could do it when he is sleeping, try doing it when he is watching tv, or offer a reward for him letting you do it. Offer to take him for ice cream, or get a candy bar! It always works with my daughter!

Good luck!

I agree with the other two ladies. Clip them while he sleeps.

A friend of mine used to cut her daughter's nails after she was asleep.

My almost 6 year old always has and still does given me problems when it is time to cut his nails. I was never able to do the clip while they sleep thing - he wakes up too easy. We made a pact that he has to clip both fingers and toes once a week and we do it after bath when the nails are softer. He still puts up a fight but he feels better once it is done. I tell him it is just something you have to do like taking medicine when sick - I will usually try to do mine first so he sees that it is not bad. I do have to remind him that if he squirms it hurts but if he just lets me do it then it gets over quick. Good Luck - maybe you will be more successful with the night clippings than I was.

I agree about clipping when your child is asleep. Try to aim for when he is in his deepest sleep, breathing deeply.

Or, if you're doing it when awake, do it right after a bath, when the nails are much softer. Put on some favorite or soothing music. And explain that it should hurt less with them so nice and soft. Show him how they bend more easily after a bath--a before and after demonstration. Of course, the nails aren't particularly hard with children are small, so there might not be a huge difference.

His grandmother may have nicked him slightly. The edges of the clippers can feel sharp if even bumped up against a child's fingers. Or she may have trimmed closer than you do, which felt new and uncomfortable. Remember, the fingers feel things very sensitively, especially when they are little. And ask what it felt like. He obviously felt something.

You could also ask who he would like to do the clipping...Mommy? Daddy? ______(favorite stuffed animal)? A gorilla? Make it playful.

As my dad used to say, "This, too, will pass." Your child WILL move past this stage. : )

HI you can also try to do it right about the time he wakes up, when he's still sleepy in the am. I do this with my daughter. If sleep time or right when they wake doesn't work, try giving him a "toy" that he usually isn't allowed to play with, like your cell phone. I know, I had to do this tactic and it worked. Like the others said, this too shall pass! Good luck.

Try to do it while he sleeps. That's what i had to do with my oldest (6 now)

hi R.- the cutting while they sleep never worked for me...I was always too afraid to interrupt the precious free time for me! THat said, I have found that cutting my daughters nails (22 mo.) while we watch cartoons has helped. I also will often sit down with her and say it's time to cut her nails and then let her "help" me clip one or two of my nails... sometimes we only got through one of her hands at a time, but it was better than nothing! Lastly, I just found the CUTEST nail clippers at Babies R Us- they are in the shape of a bumble bee! My daughter loves to fly the bee through the air!! good luck.

Just do them while he is sleeping until he gets thru this phase. Don't comment on it lest he become afraid to go to sleep.

Cut his nails while he sleeps.

Hi R.,

I used to cut my sons nails when he was napping. I was lucky that he slept pretty soundly and it did not wake him up. He eventually was fine with me doing it while he was awake.

Good luck.